يَعْمَلُونَ لَهُۥ مَا يَشَآءُ مِن مَّحَـٰرِيبَ وَتَمَـٰثِيلَ وَجِفَانٍ كَٱلْجَوَابِ وَقُدُورٍ رَّاسِيَـٰتٍ ۚ ٱعْمَلُوٓا۟ ءَالَ دَاوُۥدَ شُكْرًا ۚ وَقَلِيلٌ مِّنْ عِبَادِىَ ٱلشَّكُورُ 13
Translations
They made for him what he willed of elevated chambers, statues, bowls like reservoirs, and stationary kettles. [We said], "Work, O family of David, in gratitude." And few of My servants are grateful.
Transliteration
Ya'malūna lahū mā yashāu min mahārība wa-tamāthīl wa-jifān ka-l-jawāb wa-qudūr rāsiyāt. I'malū āl Dāwūd shukrā wa-qalīl min 'ibādī al-shukūr.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes how the jinns worked for Prophet Sulaiman, crafting magnificent items including mihrabs (prayer niches), statues, large basins, and massive cooking pots at his command. Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir note that these artisans were commanded to work with gratitude, and Allah emphasizes that few of His servants truly practice shukr (gratitude) despite their blessings. The ayah highlights both the miraculous capability granted to Sulaiman and the importance of recognizing divine favors with thankfulness.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Saba (Meccan), which discusses the reign of Prophet Sulaiman and the miraculous subjugation of the wind and jinn to his authority. It appears in the broader narrative of divine favors granted to Sulaiman, contrasting material grandeur with spiritual obligation—gratitude being more valuable than wealth.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari 7405: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, 'Whoever is grateful, has been grateful to Allah, and whoever is ungrateful, has been ungrateful to Allah.' This hadith reinforces the emphasis on shukr (gratitude) central to this ayah's message.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that possessing great abilities and blessings is secondary to expressing genuine gratitude to Allah for them; true nobility lies not in what we accomplish but in acknowledging that all accomplishment flows from divine favor with a grateful heart.
Related Ayahs
قُلِ ٱدْعُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَلَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا لَهُمْ فِيهِمَا مِن شِرْكٍ وَمَا لَهُۥ مِنْهُم مِّن ظَهِيرٍ
Say, [O Muḥammad], "Invoke those you claim [as deities] besides Allāh." They do not possess an atom's weight [of ability] in the heavens or on the earth, and they do not have therein any partnership [with Him], nor is there for Him from among them any assistant.
وَٱلَّذِينَ سَعَوْ فِىٓ ءَايَـٰتِنَا مُعَـٰجِزِينَ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مِّن رِّجْزٍ أَلِيمٌ
But those who strive against Our verses [seeking] to cause failure - for them will be a painful punishment of foul nature.
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسْتُضْعِفُوا۟ لِلَّذِينَ ٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ بَلْ مَكْرُ ٱلَّيْلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذْ تَأْمُرُونَنَآ أَن نَّكْفُرَ بِٱللَّهِ وَنَجْعَلَ لَهُۥٓ أَندَادًا ۚ وَأَسَرُّوا۟ ٱلنَّدَامَةَ لَمَّا رَأَوُا۟ ٱلْعَذَابَ وَجَعَلْنَا ٱلْأَغْلَـٰلَ فِىٓ أَعْنَاقِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ۚ هَلْ يُجْزَوْنَ إِلَّا مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ
Those who were oppressed will say to those who were arrogant, "Rather, [it was your] conspiracy of night and day when you were ordering us to disbelieve in Allāh and attribute to Him equals." But they will [all] confide regret when they see the punishment; and We will put shackles on the necks of those who disbelieved. Will they be recompensed except for what they used to do?
قُلْ إِنَّ رَبِّى يَبْسُطُ ٱلرِّزْقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِۦ وَيَقْدِرُ لَهُۥ ۚ وَمَآ أَنفَقْتُم مِّن شَىْءٍ فَهُوَ يُخْلِفُهُۥ ۖ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ ٱلرَّٰزِقِينَ
Say, "Indeed, my Lord extends provision for whom He wills of His servants and restricts [it] for him. But whatever thing you spend [in His cause] - He will compensate it; and He is the best of providers."